Mitchell might be leaving

By TIM MAY

Neither Mike Mitchell nor an Ohio State spokesman would confirm tonight that the freshman linebacker intends to transfer after spring semester is done, but insiders said they wouldn’t be surprised because the signs have been there for a while.

Mitchell, from Plano, Texas, has not been taking part in the off-season conditioning program since it began a few weeks ago, an insider told The Dispatch. Another source added that Mitchell has rarely been seen around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center since the team returned from its Orange Bowl loss to Clemson the first week of January.

Though it was reported by ElevenWarriors tonight that Mitchell wants to transfer back to some place near his family’s home so he can be closer to his ailing father Ken Mitchell, it was known during the late fall that Mike Mitchell was not happy in the OSU program. Attempts by The Dispatch to reach him and his father by phone last night were unsuccessful.

Also not known is how Mike Mitchell’s possible departure might impact the commitment of his younger brother Mickey to sign with the OSU basketball program.

Mike Mitchell had been considered a major signee in the 2013 recruiting class after an eye-popping performance in The Opening in Oregon the summer before his senior season at the private Prestonwood Academy in Plano. But something didn’t click for him at OSU because the coaches decided early on to red-shirt him his first season, though there were dire needs at linebacker.

Should he leave, Texas A&M could be a destination. The Aggies finished second in the recruiting battle for Mitchell last year.